Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) representatives from HS2 Ltd, (b) Cabinet colleagues and (c) other relevant organisations on accelerating the construction of High Speed Two services to Manchester.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government is preparing an Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands which will set out our intentions for the HS2 Phase 2b route to Manchester and Leeds. That work is overseen by a Ministerial taskforce chaired by the Secretary of State, which includes colleagues from the Prime Minister’s Office, HM Treasury, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. The Oakervee review concluded, following experience on Phase One, that having smaller Bills/phases may allow for faster construction of the project. HS2 Ltd has been asked to prepare draft legislation for the route into Manchester for deposit in Parliament by early 2022, and to be ready to act on the conclusions of the Integrated Rail Plan for the whole route.

Electric Vehicles: Parking

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he will make available to people without access to off-street parking to transition to electric vehicles.

Rachel Maclean: The Government wants to ensure that lack of access to off-street parking is not a barrier to realising the benefits of owning a plug-in electric vehicle. We have doubled the funding available under the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme this year to £20 million to ensure more local authorities and residents can benefit from the scheme. This will allow local authorities to install up to 7,200 charging devices, making it more convenient to charge and own and electric vehicle. In addition, Government is investing almost £40 million in projects to support innovation in wireless and on-street charging technology to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on coordinating rapid charging infrastructure for electric vehicles throughout the UK.

Rachel Maclean: Whilst the management of roads is a devolved matter, my officials in the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) are working collaboratively with partners in the Devolved Administrations to ensure that we can all establish effective and coordinated plans in place for rapid charging infrastructure across the whole of the UK.

Taxis: Standards

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he had the (a) Home Secretary and (b) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government prior to his announcement on changes to the statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards on 21 July 2020.

Rachel Maclean: The Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards were subject to extensive engagement, consultation and agreement across government.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to ensure that communities receive an equitable distribution of charging points in the the transition to electric vehicles.

Rachel Maclean: We are providing £500 million over the next five years to support the rollout infrastructure for electric vehicles in England and we have a range of grant schemes to support the installation of charging infrastructure that are available across the UK. Local authorities are able to take advantage of the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which assists them with the cost of installing chargepoints on residential streets. In addition, the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see £200 million from Government match funded by the private sector to invest in EV charging. We are publishing regular statistics on the number and distribution of charging points across the UK to monitor the market as it develops.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Shops

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the (a) studies and (b) other research reports that his Department holds on the presence of viable covid-19 virus in the air in (i) supermarkets and (ii) other large retail settings.

Helen Whately: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is the largest public funder of health research in the United Kingdom. Companies and research institutes are welcome to submit proposals to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and NIHR research calls. Government support is available to prioritise, coordinate and deliver studies which qualify as urgent public health research.As part of the NIHR-UKRI rolling call for rapid research proposals research, a £0.3 million project has been commissioned to investigate how long SARS-CoV-2 can survive in air and on different surfaces, which is being led by Public Health England. In addition, a highlight notice was issued in May inviting COVID-19 research proposals on transmission. Whilst the research is not specific to supermarkets and other large-scale retail settings it is hoped that the research is applicable to these and many other scenarios.

Stem Cells: Donors

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness among the general public and (b) help reduce waiting times for people registering as stem cell donors.

Helen Whately: Since 2011 the Department has provided over £26.8 million in financial support to NHS Blood and Transplant and Anthony Nolan to enable the establishment of a unified UK Stem Cell Registry and improve access to, and outcomes of, stem cell donation. There are now 1.6 million donors on the United Kingdom’s aligned stem cell registry which is also part of a worldwide network of 76 stem cell registries, which list over 36 million donors worldwide and co-operate to match donors to patients across the globe.Currently, the UK Stem Cell Registry and the NHS Cord Blood Bank have helped patients in over 40 countries around the world. NHS Blood and Transplant also supports World Marrow Donor Day which is celebrated globally on the third Saturday of September. There is no waiting list to join the UK Stem Cell Registry.

Brain: Tumours

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason only £6 million of the £40 million in funding allocated for brain tumour research has been allocated to such research to date; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: The £40 million announced for brain tumour research in May 2018 was for a period of five years. To date £6 million has been committed to brain tumour research through National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) programmes and the NIHR Academy. This does not include full NIHR spend which also includes spending made through NIHR infrastructure. Infrastructure spend can only be identified on an annual basis after the end of the financial year. We have relaxed the deadlines for NIHR infrastructure reporting this year to enable the health and social care system to respond to the COVID-19 emergency.

Cancer: Screening

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timescale is for updating the National Genomic Test Directory for 2020-21 for genomic tests commissioned by the NHS in England for cancer.

Helen Whately: Due to the impact of COVID-19, the publication of the National Genomic Test Directory for 2020/21 has been delayed. NHS England and NHS Improvement are establishing the timescale for the publication of the updated National Genomic Test Directory for 2020/21 in line with national COVID-19 recovery activity. It is expected that the National Genomic Test Directory for 2020/21 will be published by the end of September.

Cancer: Screening

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made in the development and implementation of pan-cancer testing panels as part of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.

Helen Whately: There are seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs across England which are each responsible for coordinating services for a particular part of the country, and together they form the national Genomic Medicine Service. Each Genomic Laboratory Hub has developed an implementation plan and are continuing to develop pan-cancer panels for implementation as part of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service. NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor progress on the development and implementation of pan-cancer panels.

Cancer: Screening

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on genomic testing capacity for cancer within the NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs network.

Helen Whately: NHS England and NHS Improvement closely monitored the effect on genomic testing services of COVID-19, including the impact of the redeployment of equipment and staff to support COVID-19 testing. In order to ensure continuity of the genomic testing services, NHS England and NHS Improvement published prioritisation guidance at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/guidance-to-the-nhs-genomic-medicine-service-in-response-to-covid-19/NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work closely with the Genomic Laboratory Hubs to monitor any impacts on testing capacity.

Diabetes and Obesity: Coronavirus

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Public Health England's report, Disparities in the risk and outcomes of covid-19, published in June 2020, what meetings he has had with (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department on conducting further research into adverse outcomes from covid-19; and whether those meetings included discussion on the the role of (i) obesity and (ii) diabetes and covid-19, and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: Research (NIHR). The UK Research and Innovation-NIHR Rapid Response Rolling Call has funded a large post-hospitalisation study. The study, announced in July, will establish a The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had a number of meetings looking at research into outcomes of Covid-19 with Ministers across the Department, the Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Chief Medical Officers and other Public Health England officials.The Department invests over £1 billion a year in health and care research through the National Institute for Health national consortium and a research platform embedded within clinical care to understand and improve long-term outcomes for survivors following hospitalisation with COVID-19.

Vaccination: Disinformation

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle misinformation on vaccines online, and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Facebook

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his recent meeting with Facebook’s Vice-President for Global Affairs and Communications, whether Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act 1996 was discussed at that meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Facebook

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his recent meeting with Facebook’s Vice-President for Global Affairs and Communications, what the outcomes of that meeting were; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Contracts

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of companies that have signed personal protective equipment contracts with his Department that have subsequently had those orders delayed by the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nurses

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many nurses were employed to care for adults in the NHS in each month from 2010 to 2018.

Helen Whately: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but not staff working in primary care, general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.The attached table shows the number of adult nurses as at each month between 2010 and 2018. This data contains data on adult nurses and does not include mental health nurses or learning disability nurses.FTE Nurses 2010-2018 (docx, 18.3KB)

Department for Education

Universities: Ethnic Groups

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report entitled, Tackling racial harassment: Universities challenged, published in October 2019, what progress he has made on tackling racial disparities in employment at universities.

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, ith reference to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report entitled, Tackling racial harassment: Universities challenged, published in October 2019, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of racial harassment of staff in employment by universities.

Michelle Donelan: Racial harassment is unacceptable, and we cannot tolerate staff and students being victims of it at our world-leading universities. There is no place in our society - including within higher education – for any form of harassment, discrimination or racism. Universities have clear responsibilities in this regard.As independent and autonomous institutions, higher education providers are responsible for the contracts and conditions of employment that they offer to their staff. We expect universities to follow fair recruitment and employment practices in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act (2010) to ensure that all job applicants and existing staff, regardless of race, have the opportunity to progress in their careers.This government will continue to work closely with key partners, and the Office for Students, to drive progress on matters of racial harassment and inequality in higher education.

National Retraining Scheme

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress is being made on the roll-out of the National Retraining Scheme; how many people (a) that scheme has been rolled out to and (b) have taken up that scheme; and which locations that scheme has been rolled out to.

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to extend the National Retraining Scheme.

Gillian Keegan: We have taken a user centred, test and learn approach to developing the National Retraining Scheme, starting small and developing products iteratively. Through this approach we have introduced the first part of the scheme, Get Help to Retrain, alongside developing other areas such as online training and in-work technical training.Get Help to Retrain helps users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations that they could do and find and sign up to the training they need to access opportunities for a broad range of good jobs.We started testing the digital service in the Liverpool City Region in July 2019, and have since improved the service and rolled out to eligible users in five further areas: West Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, North East, Leeds, and Heart of the South West. To date, over 2,700 users have accessed Get Help to Retrain.Due to the current circumstances, including the COVID-19 outbreak, we are reviewing what the implications could be in terms of the development and roll out of Get Help to Retrain. We are developing our approach for the National Retraining Scheme in the context of the new National Skills Fund and other reforms to adult skills funding and provision and we will provide a further update in due course.

Pre-school Education

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools originally chose to be early adopters of the Early Years Foundation Stage reforms when first invited on 20 January 2020; how many of those schools have since decided not to be early adopters; and how many schools will be early adopters in September 2020.

Nick Gibb: In January, approximately 3,400 schools signed up to participate as early adopters of the Early Years Foundation Stage reforms in the 2020/21 academic year.On 6 July, the Department wrote to these schools to ask whether they still felt able to participate in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, following which 236 schools confirmed their withdrawal. Following data verification of all early adopter registrations, as of 25 August the final confirmed number of early adopter schools was 2,795.These early adopter schools will begin to benefit from new, strengthened early years policy and practice from this September, a year ahead of statutory implementation in 2021/22.

English Language: Education

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to end the post code as a determining factor of access to English for Speakers of Other Languages provision.

Gillian Keegan: In 2018/19, the department supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through fully and part-funded English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses.The department funds ESOL through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).Approximately half of the AEB is devolved to 7 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority (GLA). These devolved authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education, including ESOL, and allocation of the AEB in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas. In non-devolved areas, we do not ring-fence a particular amount of the ESFA AEB budget for ESOL. Colleges and adult training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities. They are responsible for planning, with local partners, which ESOL courses can be delivered locally.In devolved areas, providers have the opportunity to work with MCAs and the GLA to shape the ways in which they can contribute to meeting skills needs locally so that more people of all ages and backgrounds are given opportunities to develop the skills and experience they need, including ESOL provision.We are committed to open dialogue with MCAs and the GLA on how best skills provision and reforms can be shaped to fit the needs of local areas.

Digital Technology: Training

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2020 to Question 72909 on Department for Education: Cybercrime and Digital Technology, how much funding his Department has allocated to digital skills training for (a) children and (b) adults.

Gillian Keegan: The government recognises the critical importance of digital skills both in everyday life and for the wider UK economy. That is why we have invested in digital skills that support lifelong learning and the acquisition of digital skills from foundation level right through to those required for cutting edge digital industries. The new computing curriculum has helped to ensure pupils have the broad knowledge and skills they need to go on to specialise in innovative technologies and become active creators of digital technology. This new curriculum is supported by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), which has been set up with £80 million of government funding. The NCCE are delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science, particularly amongst girls. We are investing an additional £500 million per year on the implementation of new T Levels. Digital Production, Design and Development is one of the first 3 T Levels to be taught from this September. T Levels in Digital Support and Services, and Digital Business Services will follow in 2021, providing students with a clear pathway to employment in this sector. The government is also investing up to £290 million of capital funding to establish 20 Institutes of Technology (IoT). These institutes will be the pinnacle of technical training, with unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities and businesses offering higher technical education and training in key sectors such as digital. Digital is a popular sectoral specialism with 30% of the provision of the first 12 IoTs aligned to the digital technical route. The government will introduce a new digital skills entitlement based on new national standards from August 2020. This will be funded through the £1.34 billion Adult Education Budget which aims to help eligible adults aged 19 and over to gain the skills they need for work, undertake an apprenticeship, or pursue further learning. The new entitlement will ensure adults, aged 19 and over, with no or low digital skills can study for specified qualifications in essential digital skills up to Level 1 free of charge, to get the skills and capabilities they need to get on in life and work. The government has also committed £2.5 billion investment through the National Skills Fund to dramatically reboot the adult skills landscape. We will be launching a consultation to get the views from a wide range of stakeholders, including digital skills providers, on how best to target the fund and ensure best possible impact.

ICT: Training

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money his Department has spent on digital inclusion for adults in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), investing £1.34 billion in 2019/20 and 2020/21. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have introduced a change to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Adult Education Budget (AEB) Funding Rules for 2020/21 academic year, to enable providers to use their Learner Support funds to purchase IT devices for learners (aged 19+) and to help them meet learners’ IT connectivity costs, where these costs are a barrier to accessing or continuing in their training. For full details, the ESFA AEB Funding Rules for 2020/21 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2020-to-2021. In April, we launched The Skills Toolkit – a new online learning platform to help people boost their skills – including digital – while staying at home. It covers a wide range of high-quality materials to allow people to upgrade their skills – from every day maths to learning to code. From August 2020, alongside the existing legal entitlements to English and maths, we introduced an entitlement to full funding of specified digital qualifications. Adults with no or low digital skills now have the opportunity to undertake improved digital skills qualifications, based on new national standards for essential digital skills, free of charge up to Level 1. We are also supporting the Future Digital Inclusion (FDI) programme by up to £3 million in 2020-21. FDI is managed by the Good Things Foundation and delivered through the 5,000 strong Online Centres Network. This programme targets the most digitally excluded and hardest to reach in society to improve their basic digital skills, with the vast majority progressing onto further learning and employment, and gaining the ability to use online public services independently. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have supported Good Things Foundation to pivot online centre delivery by supporting learners with digital skills remotely through telephone and video calling. This has helped people within the community to use the internet and stay safe online, including finding government or health advice, ordering prescriptions online, paying bills or making a claim for Universal Credit, and staying in touch with family and friends.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Hebron: Coronavirus

Colum Eastwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on reports of the recent demolition of a Palestinian drive-through covid-19 testing centre in the City of Hebron, south of the occupied West Bank.

James Cleverly: We are concerned by the reports of a recent demolition of a covid-19 testing centre in Hebron. We have not to date made representations on this particular case but have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our view that demolitions, in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations (a) he has and (b) officials of his Department have made to the Government of Bahrain on abolishing the death penalty in that country in the last 12 months.

James Cleverly: The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We regularly raise our concerns about the use of the death penalty with the Bahraini authorities using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels. The Government of Bahrain is well aware of the UK's opposition to use of the death penalty.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water: Pollution Control

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the article published in Science of the Total Environment in June 2020, entitled, London's river of plastic: High levels of microplastics in the Thames water column, by Rowley et al, what steps his Department is taking to tackle pollution in waterways.

Rebecca Pow: Defra is working with the Environment Agency, academics and the UK water industry to understand the scale of the microplastic pollution problem and to establish detection methods. The aim is to identify, characterise and quantify the types of microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants, evaluate the efficiency of treatment processes for the removal of microplastics from domestic wastewaters and assess the fate and biological effects of microplastics in receiving rivers. Although there has been substantive research reporting the presence and impacts of microplastics in the marine environment, little is known about their sources, release and impact on freshwaters or their ultimate transport to the marine environment. Defra recently commissioned three evidence reviews on analysis, prevalence & impact of microplastics in freshwater and estuarine environments to further understand these issues and will use the outcomes from these and other research to develop policy options to help mitigate the impact of microplastics in the aquatic environment. These evidence reviews can be found at the following link: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20192&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=WT15112&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description

Food: Waste

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) food and drink wholesalers and (b) redistribution organisations to minimise the waste of food through the legal distribution of food that has passed its best before date.

Rebecca Pow: Following the decision taken to implement the lockdown at the end of March, in order to protect the NHS and save lives, thousands of cafes, restaurants, work canteens and school kitchens shut down immediately. Food that was already in kitchens, freezers, wholesalers’ warehouses, or in transit to the food service sector, could not be used. Some of this food is now beginning to reach its ‘best before’ date, and we need to ensure that it is not wasted. Our food surplus and waste champion has written to the food industry, to ask that all surplus food that is safe and suitable to eat is made available and redistributed. Working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), and others, Defra has made information available to businesses, trading standards officers and food hygiene officers about the rules on use-by and best before dates. This information makes it clear that 'Best Before' is an indication of quality, not safety, and that food approaching or even past this date may still be used, sold or redistributed. Only food beyond its 'Use By' date should not be used. Our food industry has already shown itself to be resilient, agile and innovative in shifting direction at a moment's notice to deal with Covid-19 and keep the nation fed. Now that restrictions are being relaxed, Defra urges businesses to, wherever possible, prioritise stock which needs to be used most urgently, before moving to goods with later 'Best Before' dates. In doing so, they can be confident that their trading standards and food hygiene officials will provide support and, as long as the food is safe to use, that there is no legal restriction in doing so.

Clean Air Zones and Low Emission Zones

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of increasing the number of (a) Clean Air and (b) Low Emission Zones.

Rebecca Pow: Air pollution poses one of the biggest environmental threats to public health. That is why we are already investing £3.8 billion to clean up our air, including £880 million which is ring fenced to help Local Authorities (LAs) tackle NO2 exceedances previously identified in the 2017 UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Concentrations. We are continuing to work closely with these LAs to help develop and implement their local clean air plans which can include charging Clean Air Zones, although other measures that are at least as effective are preferred. We rigorously assess local clean air plans to make sure they will deliver reductions in NO2 levels in the shortest possible time. However, LAs ultimately make decisions on whether Clean Air Zones are the most suitable measure to introduce in their area.

Clothing: Waste

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the names of the retailers that have least 1 per cent of UK retail sales by volume who are not signatories to the WRAP Sustainable Clothing Action Plan 2020 commitment.

Rebecca Pow: Defra does not hold the information requested. The signatories to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan 2020 are listed on the WRAP website. We believe that addressing the environmental impacts of the sector requires collective action on the part of brands, manufacturers and retailers, and Government. We are working with WRAP on a new phase of the voluntary agreement for 2021-2030. We encourage all brands, manufacturers, and retailers to get involved.

Air Pollution: Health Hazards

Joy Morrissey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will include a target date for implementing WHO air quality standards in the Environment Bill.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is committed to tackling a diversity of pollutants which harm human health and the environment. We already have ambitious and statutory emission reduction ceilings in place for five key air pollutants, as well as legally binding concentration limits. However, the case for even more ambitious action on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is especially strong, as it is the pollutant that has the most significant impact on health. The Environment Bill establishes a legally binding duty to set a target for PM2.5, in addition to a long-term air quality target. We are committed to setting ambitious targets and following an evidence-based process, seeking advice from a range of experts, in addition to giving consideration to the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines. The targets will be set in secondary legislation at the end of this process. It would not be an effective approach to policy making to commit in primary legislation to delivering a target, without giving due consideration to its achievability and the measures required to meet that target. Stakeholders, Parliament and the public will have the opportunity to comment on, and input into, the process of developing this target.

Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been raised by the plastic bag levy in each year since that scheme was introduced.

Rebecca Pow: The total amount donated to good causes per year was: £29.2 million in 2015/2016, £65.4 million in 2016/2017, £51.6 million in 2017/2018, £22.9 million in 2018/2019 and £9.2 million in 2019/2020. The reduction in later reporting years is primarily due to retailers selling fewer single-use carrier bags in those years. Data for 2015/2016 covered only 6 months (5 October 2015 to 6 April 2016), so is not directly comparable to other reporting years.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timeframe is for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme in England.

Rebecca Pow: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys on 13 July 2020, PQ UIN 69511. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-07-06/69511/

Beaches and Countryside: Coronavirus

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much additional funding his Department has provided for the clean up of beaches and local beauty spots since the lockdown restrictions were put in place due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Rebecca Pow: We recognise that in the current circumstances local authorities may have more challenges than usual, including when collecting waste. The Government has responded with an unprecedented £4.3 billion support package for local authorities. This includes £3.7 billion of un-ringfenced grants which can be used by councils to meet local priorities including, should they see fit, cleaning up beaches and local beauty spots. Defra has also supported, and provided funding for, Keep Britain Tidy's Love Parks campaign, which encourages people to treat our parks with respect this summer. Further information about the campaign is available at:https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/news/new-campaign-launched-face-littering-epidemic-parks Additionally, Defra has launched a 'Respect the Outdoors' campaign this summer. This has been promoted both online and in locations near to urban parks, beaches and national parks to further highlight the impacts of littering, as well as unauthorised barbeques and campfires, and breaches of the countryside code.

Imports: Carbon Emissions

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the level of carbon emissions embedded in goods imported to the UK.

Rebecca Pow: The latest figures show carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with imported goods fell by 1% between 2016 and 2017, and by 16% between 2007 (when they peaked) and 2017. The latest figures published are at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uks-carbon-footprint but they focus on greenhouse gas emissions rather than just CO2 emissions. Consumption emissions are officially categorised as “experimental statistics” due to inherent uncertainties in the estimates produced. The UK’s GHG emissions statistics used for the purposes of measuring progress against the net zero target are calculated in line with the standard international accounting approach for measuring emissions as established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Government's Resources and Waste Strategy for England sets out its ambition to move from a make, take, use, throw linear economic model to a more circular economy which will reduce our carbon footprint from imported emissions through increasing repair, reuse, remanufacture and other waste prevention activities. The Environment Bill includes measures that will help consumers to make purchasing decisions that support the market for more sustainable products. It contains powers to introduce clear product labelling, which will enable consumers to identify products that are more durable, reparable and recyclable and will inform them on how to dispose of used products.

Clothing: Waste Disposal

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the use of (a) incineration and (b) landfill for unsold clothing suitable for (i) reusing and (ii) recycling.

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a reduction in the rate of VAT on clothing repair services on trends in the level of the reuse of clothing.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is committed to working towards reducing textiles and clothing sent to landfill and incineration. For all materials, including textiles and clothing, prioritising waste prevention, reuse, and recycling ahead of landfill and incineration is embedded in the waste hierarchy and legislation is in place to support this. In our Resources and Waste Strategy (RWS, 2018), we highlighted our commitment to support reuse, recycling and the diversion of clothing from landfill and incineration. We are working with the Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP) and industry on a new voluntary agreement and are seeking enabling powers in the Environment Bill to introduce product design and information requirements. The RWS also identified textiles as one of five priority waste streams to consult on for an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. VAT and taxation are matters for HM Treasury (HMT) and Defra will continue to work with other Government Departments, including HMT, on the development of policies. We are supporting the textiles reuse and recycling sector, which has experienced challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, through the WRAP-administered Resource Action Fund. The textiles fund makes a total of £1.5 million available, for small grants of £20 000 to £170 000.

Plastic Bags

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many single-use plastic bags have been sold in each year since the levy on plastic bags was introduced.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many plastic bags for life have been sold in each year since the introduction of the plastic bag levy in 2015.

Rebecca Pow: Since 5 October 2015, large retailers in England have been required by law to charge a minimum of 5p for single-use plastic bags and to report on the number they sell each year. The total number of single-use plastic bags that were sold by large retailers each full reporting year is as follows: 2.12 billion in 2016/17, 1.75 billion in 2017/18,1.11 billion in 2018/19 and 564 million in 2019/20. Retailers are not required to report on the number of plastic bags for life sold as these are not within the scope of the carrier bag charge. However, they can provide this information voluntarily. The full datasets for each reporting year are on GOV.UK and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england.

Home Office

Police: Training

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to make autism training for police officers mandatory.

Kit Malthouse: The College of Policing sets the standards for training and professional development for police forces in England and Wales. It has produced Authorised Professional Practice and a range of training materials to support officers to help vulnerable people effectively, including those with mental health problems and autism. Training on mental health and vulnerabilities issues is integrated throughout the initial police learning programme which all new recruits – police constables, special constables and PCSOs – must complete. Ongoing training is the responsibility of individual police forces, through Chief Constables, to ensure officers and police staff receive appropriate training for their roles and that they have regard to the appropriate Authorised Professional Practice when discharging their responsibilities.

Police: Racial Discrimination

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of racism in British policing.

Kit Malthouse: Racism, in any form, is abhorrent and has no place in policing. The power of the police to fulfil their duties is wholly dependent on their ability to secure and maintain public confidence and respect. We have put in place measures to ensure that policing is subject to appropriate levels of transparency and accountability – with regular inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) of the way forces engage with communities, publication of data on the use of police powers, including stop and search, and strengthening the police complaints and discipline systems. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) publishes a range of information and statistics on police complaints and in 2019 submitted evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, as part of the committee’s inquiry into “Macpherson 20 years on”, setting out findings from a series of Public Confidence Surveys carried out since 2004. The College of Policing publishes data annually on officers and staff who have been dismissed and placed on the Police Barred List.

Northern Ireland Office

Domestic Abuse: Northern Ireland

Kim Johnson: What discussions he has had with groups supporting victims of domestic violence in Northern Ireland during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Robin Walker: Sadly during this pandemic, there has been a rise in domestic abuse incidents. I’m pleased to see there has been a focus across the whole of the UK to support victims of domestic violence. Northern Ireland’s Department of Justice and Department of Health have taken a range of steps, including introducing the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill. An action plan for the domestic and sexual abuse strategy has also been published and the domestic violence and abuse campaign ‘see the signs’ has been relaunched.   I was pleased to see that on 3 July, the NI Justice Minister and NI Health Minister published a plan for year five of the seven year domestic and sexual abuse strategy and a progress report for 2019/20, taking forward commitments that had been made by the Executive in 2016. Although this is a devolved area, the UK Government has made available £2 million to support domestic abuse charities to use technology to provide support in a more covert way to help victims trapped with their abuser.

Coronavirus: Northern Ireland

Andrew Gwynne: What steps the Government is taking to support the recovery of the Northern Ireland economy after the covid-19 outbreak.

Bill Esterson: What steps the Government is taking to support the recovery of the Northern Ireland economy after the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Robin Walker: Businesses in Northern Ireland have always exhibited tremendous resilience and ability to bounce back from adversity.This Government has stood by the people of Northern Ireland, providing support for Northern Ireland businesses and employees throughout the pandemic with an unprecedented series of grants, loans and support schemes. We remain committed to enabling them, and the wider economy, to thrive and grow as we emerge from the lockdown.We look forward to working with the Executive and local partners to unleash Northern Ireland’s potential by driving innovation and connecting Northern Ireland with opportunities through our new trading relationships.

Customs: Northern Ireland

Alex Sobel: What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the UK’s approach to implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Robin Walker: Northern Ireland Office Ministers have been working closely and collaboratively with the Executive throughout as we plan for the end of the Transition Period. We are determined to ensure that new processes are streamlined and do not affect the flow of trade, with clear guidance and support in place for businesses.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: What discussions his Department has had with (a) victims groups and (b) other key stakeholders in Northern Ireland on the development of the Government's proposals on addressing Northern Ireland legacy issues, announced on 18 March 2020.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government remains committed to introducing legislation to address the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland. The Department has held discussions with a number of key stakeholders, including victims groups, the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, and a range of individuals from across civic society and academia.

Customs: Northern Ireland

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to minimise the costs to Northern Ireland businesses of complying with the requirements of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Robin Walker: We are committed to working closely with businesses as we implement the Protocol - they are at the heart of our approach. This is why we established the Business Engagement Forum and why we recently announced the introduction of the Trader Support Service. This unique service will provide extensive support, guiding traders through all import processes at no additional cost. Backed by £200m in Government funding, this will ensure that businesses of all sizes can draw on the support it provides.

Treasury

Whisky: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the Scotch Whisky industry to the (a) public purse and (b) economy; and if he will he make a statement.

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the tax burden on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the Scotch whisky sector of the 25 per cent tariff on single malt Scotch Whisky and liqueurs imposed by the US; what plans he has to support the sector through domestic tax policy; and if he will make a statement.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government greatly values the important contribution the Scotch Whisky industry makes to the economy and society. For this reason, the Government froze spirits duty at the Budget earlier this year, the sixth cut or freeze since 2014. In 2019-20, spirits duty revenues totalled £3.8 billion. Home produced whisky made up 17% of overall spirits volumes. The Government regards the existing US tariffs on Scotch whisky as unhelpful and unnecessary. They are unfairly damaging a great UK export. The Government takes this issue very seriously and continues to raise the issue with the highest levels of the US administration to seek a negotiated settlement.

Beer: Excise Duties

Deidre Brock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the technical consultation on reform of Small Brewers Relief will be launched.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the planned reform of Small Brewers Relief on small, independent breweries.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Society of Independent Brewers on the Small Brewers Relief reform.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Small Brewers Duty Reform Coalition on Small Brewers Relief reform.

Kemi Badenoch: The Treasury has been reviewing Small Brewers Relief (SBR) since 2018, and before recess announced several changes to the SBR scheme in order to make it easier for small independent breweries to expand and grow. As part of the review, I have met with the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and the Small Brewers Duty Reform Coalition (SBDRC), most recently in July. My predecessor Simon Clarke MP met with both groups in a roundtable in September 2019. Officials have also had frequent meetings with both groups. The review is still ongoing and will be subject to a consultation on further technical details. This will be published later this Autumn.

Carbon Emissions

Geraint Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs on the potential merits of carbon border adjustments for supporting the UK's climate commitments.

Kemi Badenoch: As a global leader on decarbonisation, the UK recognises the importance of ensuring that policy interventions to cut domestic emissions do not lead to increased emissions elsewhere. A range of approaches could potentially help to address this, of which carbon border adjustments are one, and the Treasury continues to engage on the issue.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 20 April 2020 on furlough for agency or bank staff at NHS Professionals.

Kemi Badenoch: The Treasury responded to the Member’s letter on 24 July 2020.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential effect of the implementation of covid-19 track and trace systems on the (a) protection and (b) use of personal data by businesses in the hospitality sector.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Department of Health and Social Care has been working closely with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to ensure that the development of test and trace systems, including customer, visitor and staff logs comply with data protection legislation. The ICO has published user-friendly guidance for organisations to ensure they notify individuals that their data is being collected; and that any information collected is limited to what is necessary, is not used for other purposes, is held securely and deleted after 21 days when no longer needed.The guidance can be viewed on the ICO's website at: https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protection-and-coronavirus-information-hub/contact-tracing-protecting-customer-and-visitor-details/

Dormant Assets Distribution Fund

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate he has made of the value of dormant (a) stocks, (b) shares, (c) bonds and (d) insurance policies available for transfer to the Dormant Assets Distribution Fund.

Mr John Whittingdale: Currently, the dormant assets scheme only accepts bank and building society accounts. A consultation on expanding the scheme to include a wider range of dormant financial assets, such as shares and insurance policies, closed in mid-July. The government response to this consultation will be published this Autumn. We are working with industry stakeholders to estimate the value of the assets in scope for inclusion as part of this.